Is My Bunny Sick?

I am not going to play vet here, nor do I intend on diagnosing your
rabbits illness, that's the vets job. But I do want to make you
aware of some common rabbit illnesses and the signs that can help you
spot a problem quickly.

Know Your Rabbit

This is essential. Rabbits often hide illness very well, the better you
know your bunny the more likely you will be to spot any behavior that is
out of the ordinary. Time is of the essence when dealing with a
sick rabbit, in some cases, by the time we realize they're sick they've
been hiding it for a while.

Be on the look out for:

A change in personality (moopy, lethargic)

A change in litter box habits (smaller poops, no
poops, runny poops)

A change in eating or drinking habits (excessive
drinking, not eating)

Tooth grinding (not the chattering often heard when
bunny is being petted)

Runny eyes or nose, sneezing, wheezing

Limping

Tilting of the head (that stays that way)

Excessive scratching of the ears

Lumps

Listlessness

Loss of Balance

Common Illnesses

G.I. Stasis: This is
a biggy and something every bunny owner wants to know about ahead of
time. Stasis is a condition whereby the gut is not passing food along
properly and bunny often stops pooping altogether or the size and
frequency of poops is diminished. If you haven't figured it out yet
bunnies are big poopers! Stasis should not be ignored, treatment needs
to start immediately. Rabbits are grazers, they eat allot and they eat
often, if your bunny has refused to eat for more than 12 hours you
should contact your vet.

Runny Nose / Runny Eyes:
In most cases this will have to be diagnosed by a vet as there are
several causes, some which may require aggressive or long term
treatment with antibiotics. A runny nose can appear clear or white colored. In some cases
bunnies front paws may also be wet as a result of cleaning a snotty
face. Because this condition may be contagious it is best to start
treatment as soon as possible and quarantine the rabbit until checked by
the vet.

Sore Hocks : Sores
can develop on the bottom of the back feet. Thin fur, genetic
predisposition (ex: Rex rabbits) or standing on wire bottom cages are often
the cause. A sore hock can look allot like a bald spot and get progressively worse turning red and inflamed.

Cyst: Lumps beneath
the skin. There are many causes for cysts and abscesses. A lump could be
a fluid filled pocket (which requires draining or surgery), an infected
tooth/jaw or tumor. Again, a vet is needed to diagnose the cause and
treatment.

Head Tilt: Head Tilt
(wry neck) looks just like it sounds. Bunny begins holding their head at
a sideways tilt often accompanied by a loss of balance and sometimes...
darting eyes. See the vet immediately, the speed of your response may
determine the outcome. Though there are many causes the most common
are an ear infection and
e. cuniculi.

Head Tilt (Wry Neck)

Poopy Butt vs. Diarrhea - Soft poops a.k.a. "Poopy butt" are soft mushy poops that cling to
the fur and are often caused by poor dietary habits (too many veggies,
too many pellets etc.). Poopy butt has the consistency of mashed
potatoes and should clear up quickly when poor diet is the culprit. Actual diarrhea is quite different and is very runny or
liquid. Diarrhea is definitely cause to visit the vet. If poopy butt
persist a vet check would also be in order.

Fur Mites: Fur mites
look very similar to dandruff and look like white flakey skin. A rabbit
savvy vet can prescribe medicine that is safe and effective for treating
mites.

Fur Mites

Ear Mites: Mites
that have gotten into the ears can cause bunny to scratch their ears
excessively, there will sometimes be a crusty surface inside the ear.
The vet can prescribe medication to kill the mites.

Misaligned Teeth:
Otherwise known as malocclusion. The front teeth may grow very
long and actually twist outwardly or hook. Tooth trimming or extraction
is necessary to ensure that bunny is able to eat.

It's Not All Bad

There are a few normal things that first time bunny
owners are unaware of and often fear.

Red / Orange Urine:
This tends to get everyone excited but is rarely any indication of a
problem Bunny pee comes in many colors including clear, yellow, orange
and red (not blood). Certain vegetables will change the color of their
urine. When feeding kale we always see orange pee.

Cecotropes / cecal pellets:
Well a picture is worth a thousand words where this is considered.
Cecals are produced daily by bunny and are different from their normal,
hard, round marbles. They look like a cluster of
grapes...albeit a very nasty grape and they are rather pungent smelling!
These are ingested without you ever
seeing them, usually. Yes, I know what you're thinking... but you don't
have to tell your friends. To put it very simply, the ingestion of cecal
pellets provides bunnies with nutrition that isn't found in the grass
they were made to consume, it is part of their design. I'm sorry
if I'm the first to tell you but it is normal
for your bunny to eat it it's poop :)
more information on
cecotropes.

Cecals / Cecotropes

Snoring: Some
bunnies snore, the sound can catch you off guard if you've never
heard it before. I had Grandpa thoroughly examined when he first
started snoring just to make sure we weren't overlooking a respiratory
issue. His snoring is so loud at times it can be heard over the television at
times.

Hiccups: Bunnies can
get the hiccups. I've only had one rabbit in 20 years that ever had
them, and their are infrequent. These are not seizures though it is
possible for sick rabbits to have seizures.

Molting: At it's
worst a molting rabbit can look terribly shaggy. Molting is an annual
occurrence and you can do your home and your bunny a great service by
brushing them regularly. Bunnies are incessant groomers, their frequent
licking means they are ingesting fur. Unlike cats, rabbits can not vomit
so the hair must pass thru their system.